Opera singers have to put
up with some pretty fluffy interview questions:
Barbara Streisand or Pierre Boulez?
Maria Callas or Cecilia Bartoli?
Gym Queen or Burger King?
Who thinks up these questions?
Bejun Mehta did this interview last spring when in Brussels to perform in Handel's Orlando. There are some tough choices, and he's refreshingly candid, handling the questions with grace. (He also clarifies that the American expression is "Gym Bunny" and that he is not one.) Mr. Mehta seems like a fun, funny, down-to-earth kinda guy. So here is the interview (in English with French subtitles), and an aria from Orlando (In Italian with French subtitles.) This Orlando seems more insane than usual!
With their kinky Traviata*, the Manon Lescaut in a train station, and this Orlando, I'm wishing I could spend some time at La Monnaie in Brussels!
The Interview
The Aria
Ah, I love this guy.
ReplyDeleteLucrezia Borgia is up on La Monnaie's site right now - have you seen that one?
I haven't yet. I have it bookmarked and I know I need to watch it before it disappears.
DeleteThe youtube seems to be audio only
ReplyDeleteHmmmmm. Which one? They both have video when I click on them.
Deletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdesNp6G5yY
DeleteJust shows a cast list throughout
Oh, the Traviata. Odd. Try the Arte Live site. I think it will be there for another few months.
Deletehttp://liveweb.arte.tv/fr/video/La_Traviata_Guiseppe_Verdi_Theatre_de_la_Monnaie_Bruxelles_Simona_Saturova_Adam_Fischer/